polyamines
Sign in to saveA polyamine is an organic compound having three or more amino groups. Alkyl polyamines occur naturally, but some are synthetic. Alkylpolyamines are colorless, hygroscopic, and water soluble. Near neutral pH, they exist as the ammonium derivatives. Most aromatic polyamines are crystalline solids at room temperature.
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Natural polyamines
- Biological function
- Homology-directed DNA repair
- Biosynthesis of spermidine, spermine, thermospermine
- Polyamine analogues
- Synthetic polyamines
- Polyazamacrocycles
- See also
- References
- External links
A polyamine is an organic compound having three or more amino groups. Alkyl polyamines occur naturally, but some are synthetic. Alkylpolyamines are colorless, hygroscopic, and water soluble. Near neutral pH, they exist as the ammonium derivatives. Most aromatic polyamines are crystalline solids at room temperature.
==Natural polyamines== Low-molecular-weight linear polyamines are found in all forms of life. The principal examples are the triamine spermidine and the tetraamine spermine. They are structurally and biosynthetically related to the diamines putrescine and cadaverine. Polyamine metabolism is regulated by the activity of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Polyamines are found in high concentrations in the mammalian brain.